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Kicking off this week’s Green Deals is a $600 discount on the MOD Easy 3 e-bike that is now down at a new $2,699 low price. We’ve also got an early Prime Day deal on Anker’s SOLIX C1000 Portable Power Station that is down at a $549 low and running parallel with Anker’s Early Prime Big Deal Days sale that ends alongside the Amazon 2-day event. From there we have a bunch of one-day discounts for you, with EcoFlow’s latest flash sale offering up to 53% off its DELTA 2 and DELTA 2 Max power station bundles that start from a new $779 low. We also have GoTrax’s XR PRO Commuting Electric Scooter down at $400, as well as both a refurbished and brand new option on Greenworks’ 80V 730 CFM cordless blowers that are at their lowest prices starting from $130. Plus, all the other hangover Green Deals in the links at the bottom of the page, collected together in our Electrified Weekly roundup from over the weekend.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Save $600 on the Class 3 MOD Easy 3 e-bike at new $2,699 low

MOD Bikes is offering a significant price drop on its stylish Easy 3 e-bike for $2,699 shipped. Normally you’d be spending $3,499 on this newer model, with the few sales we’ve seen since the brand hit our radar usually only taking $300 off its price tag. Today though, that markdown has doubled to a solid $600 being cut from its going rate, giving you a quality ride (with unique and impeccable taste) at the lowest price we have tracked. You can learn some more about this e-bike (and its additional sidecar attachment) by reading through our hands-on review of its earlier design over at Electrek, or head below for more info on this newer model that sports some upgraded features.

As I’ve said before, the MOD Easy 3 has been a favorite of mine since I first discovered the brand, with its quality parts and unique style that resembles the classic Indian 741 Scout motorcycles that would cost you more than just an arm and a leg these days (and likely the closest I’ll ever get to riding one of those bad boys). I recently got ahold of one and so far it’s been a very exciting ride, mainly due to its design differences from most standard e-bikes these days that more resemble mountain bikes. It comes with a 750W rear brushless geared hub motor (1,000W peak), a removable 720Wh MOD Samsung Powerpack battery, and five levels of pedal assistance supported by a new torque sensor (upgraded from the previous version’s cadence sensor).

This thing really picks up and goes with its 28 MPH top speed and 50-mile travel distance (which can be doubled to 100 miles with an extra battery). You’ll also find other features like a 7-speed Shimano ALTUS derailleur, an integrated LED headlight and taillight with brake light functionality, a thumb throttle for pure electric action, fenders to go over both of its multi-terrain tires, a rear cargo rack, hydraulic disc brakes, dual suspension, a wide saddle, a bell, and an S3 smart color display with a USB port for charging your devices (another upgrade from the earlier simple LCD display) and password security for locking the e-bike.

There are two alternative configurations for the MOD Easy 3 e-bike, one with a sidecar attachment that includes a padded seat for $4,299 with the current $500 discount. Now I will admit, this is a steep price if you wanted to take a smaller child with you, considering that the rear rack is more than capable of supporting a child’s seat, but it does allow for kids, teens, and adults up to 150 pounds to have a unique riding experience – and even more specifically, your dog or similar pet. Keep in mind there are no seatbelts here though, but there are the dedicated D-ring anchor points to secure your dog’s leash or harness. If you want the same general style of the Easy 3 e-bike in more chopper-like format, there’s also the MOD Easy Ape Hanger 3 e-bike for $2,699, down from $3,499. It has much of the same features and specs, but with a much more simplistic, toned-down design that features chopper handlebars.

There’s plenty of other models worth checking out in MOD Bike’s latest sale on the landing page here.

EcoFlow flash sale

Score EcoFlow’s DELTA 2 or DELTA 2 Max power station bundles at up to 53% off in 1-day flash sale from $779 low

EcoFlow has launched yet another 24-hour flash sale that is offering some of the best deals we’ve seen on two power station bundles during its Early Prime Big Deal Days sale, which will also be ending tonight at midnight. The first of these deals is the brand’s DELTA 2 Portable Power Station with 220W solar panel for $779 shipped on Amazon. This package would normally cost you $1,649, with the few discounts we’ve seen over 2024 mostly keeping prices between $879 and $999. Today though, you’re getting the chance to score it at a 53% markdown that cuts $870 off its tag and gives you a new all-time low price.

Great to take along with you on weekend getaways into the wilds, the DELTA 2 power station provides you with a 1,024Wh LiFePO4 battery capacity that you can further expand up to 3,000Wh with the addition of extra batteries (bundle option below). You can charge devices and power appliances with its power output reaching up to 1,800W, with 15 port options to connect to: six ACs, four USB-As, two USB-Cs, and three DCs. Thanks to its fast-charging capabilities, you can get an 80% recharge for the station in just 50 minutes when connected to a wall outlet, while a full battery takes up to 80 minutes. It can also fully recharge in up to six hours with the included 220W solar panel – plus, it comes with real-time smart controls and an IP68 waterproof rating for ensured protection against water, dust, and debris.

There’s a few good alternative bundle options for this station too, with it coming with an extra battery in place of the solar panel for $998, down from $1,599, or you can double up its solar charging ability with two 220W panels for $1,149, down from $1,899. If you’d prefer just getting the power station alone, you’ll save 51% at the moment while its at $489.

The second deal during this short-term sale is direct from EcoFlow’s website, which is offering the DELTA 2 Max Portable Power Station with an 800W Alternator Charger for $1,299, down from $2,498. With this model you’re getting a much larger 2,048Wh LiFePO4 battery capacity that can be expanded up to 6,144Wh with its extra battery additions. It dishes out power up to 3,400W in order to run “99% of home appliances,” with its six AC ports, four USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, two DC ports, and one car port. Not only does it allow for two solar inputs to be connected (up to 1,000W), but it also sports dual-charging through its two solar inputs and a wall outlet for faster recharges in just 43 minutes when you need to finish the job sooner than you expected. The included alternator charger also allows you to charge as you drive by connecting it to your car, giving you about 1,000Wh after 1.3 hours of driving.

Be sure not to miss out on all the other incredible deals from EcoFlow’s Early Prime Big Deal Days sale that will be ending tonight, while still offering a few more flash sales through the next couple of days.

Anker

Early Prime Day sale drops Anker’s SOLIX C1000 LiFePo4 portable power station back to $549 low

Early Prime Day pricing is already arriving ahead of the 2-day event, and through its official Amazon storefront, Anker is offering its SOLIX C1000 Portable Power Station for $549 shipped, after clipping the on-page $450 off coupon. It normally goes for $999, but we’ve been seeing steadily growing discounts over 2024, with things hitting $599 at the top of July and first dropping to the $549 low after the month’s 2-day Prime Day event. We haven’t seen this low rate return in the time since, only dropping to $599 at best, but its back again today ahead of next week to give you a second chance at scoring it with a $450 markdown at the all-time lowest price we have tracked.

Anker designed the SOLIX C1000 in a more compact unit that is “15% smaller than the industry average,” delivering a reliable 1,056Wh LiFePO4 capacity (which you can bump up to 2,112Wh with this extra battery option). It provides a 1,800W power output that can surge up to 2,400W, covering a wide array of larger appliances despite its smaller size. It offers 11 output options to plug into: one carport, two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, and six AC outlets. Charging is relatively fast thanks to its UltraFast tech, giving you an 80% battery in 43 minutes or a full battery in 58 minutes, with solar charging through a 600W max input doing the job in about 1.8 hours. Through the Anker app, you’ll be able to get real-time status updates, view your battery level, and set AC charging speeds.

There’s also four bundle options to keep the savings rolling: grab the SOLIX C1000 with a 100W solar panel for $749, or a 200W solar panel instead for $899 – or you can bump it up to the 400W solar panel combo at $1,149. There’s also the chance to snag it along with a BP1000 expansion battery for $949. You’ll also find the expansion battery by itself at $449. These bundles offer some of the best and lowest rates we’ve seen yet and can make excellent backup power companions in everyday or emergency situations alike.

GoTrax

Get through your commute on GoTrax’s XR PRO electric scooter at $400 for today only

As part of its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the GoTrax XR PRO Commuting Electric Scooter for $399.99 shipped. You’d usually find this model sitting at a $550 price tag, with the last time we saw it being a drop to its $350 low back in April during a similar one-day sale. Today you can add it to your commute with a 27% markdown that strikes a solid $150 off its going rate, giving you the second-best price we have tracked.

A great option for folks with a shorter commute, the XR PRO electric scooter utilizes a 300W motor (peaking at 400W) alongside a 36V battery that allows it to reach top speeds of 15.5 MPH and carry you up to 19 miles before needing to recharge. It has an integrated digital display that gives you control over the scooter’s settings, a bright LED headlight for those late-night commutes and joyrides, with 8.5-inch pneumatic, pre-slimed tires that help you to avoid flats, pops, and tears. It also features a one touch folding function with a simple hook-n-latch system for easy transport and storage when you’ve arrived at your destination.

greenworks

Refurb and new condition Greenworks 80V 730 CFM cordless blowers at lowest prices from $130

Coming to us through its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering a refurbished Greenworks 80V 730 CFM Cordless Handheld Blower for $129.99 shipped. Normally costing $250 in new condition, you’re looking at the third discount in 2024 that we’ve seen drop on this refurbished model, with May first seeing a drop to $160 and a further fall to $140 at the end of July. Today it’s getting an even bigger 48% markdown, saving you $120 and giving you the lowest price we have seen on a made-to-look-new-again model. Best Buy has even thrown in a 6-month warranty on both the blower and battery to ensure you get your money’s worth.

Coming along with a 2.5Ah battery that can be switched out for any others you may already have at the ready, this 80V blower promises “25% more air volume and 20% more speed” than its predecessors while also weighing in “20% lighter than gas blowers.” The battery gives it enough juice to tackle the debris in your yard for up to 70 minutes, depending on which of its two settings you choose. The brushless motor here produces air speeds up to 170 MPH, with an ergonomic design and variable speed control for easier handling – plus, you can toss out the need for gas and simultaneously work without smelling fumes the whole time. If you’d prefer to grab this model in new condition, Best Buy has also dropped the price there to its $170 low, down from its regular $250.

Fall e-bike deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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Environment

‘Repowering’ era for America’s aging wind energy industry begins, despite Trump’s effort to kill it

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16 hours ago

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April 27, 2025

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'Repowering' era for America's aging wind energy industry begins, despite Trump's effort to kill it

Jeffrey Sanders / 500px | 500px | Getty Images

On Inauguration Day, President Donald Trump issued an executive order indefinitely halting permits for new onshore wind energy projects on federal land, as well as new leases for offshore wind farms in U.S. coastal waters. The action not only fulfilled Trump’s “no new windmills” campaign pledge, but struck yet another blow to the wind industry, which has been hit hard over the past few years by supply chain snags, price increases upending project economics, public opposition and political backlash against federal tax credits, especially those spurring the fledgling offshore wind sector.

Nonetheless, the nation’s well-established onshore wind industry, built out over several decades, is generating nearly 11% of America’s electricity, making it the largest source of renewable energy and at times last year exceeding coal-fired generation. On April 8, the fossil-fuels-friendly Trump administration took measures to bolster coal mining and power plants, but as the infrastructure driving wind energy ages, efforts to “repower” it are creating new business opportunities for the industry’s key players.

This repowering activity has emerged as a bright spot for the wind industry, giving a much-needed boost to market leaders GE Vernova, Vestas and Siemens Gamesa, a subsidiary of Munich-based Siemens Energy. Following several challenging years of lackluster performance — due in particular to setbacks in both onshore and offshore projects — all three companies reported revenue increases in 2024, and both GE Vernova and Siemens stock have moved higher.

GE Vernova, spun off from General Electric a year ago, led overall onshore wind installations in 2024, with 56% of the U.S. market, followed by Denmark’s Vestas (40%) and Siemens Gamesa (4%).

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GE Vernova stock performance over the past one-year period.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, installed wind power generating capacity grew from 2.4 gigawatts (GW) in 2000 to 150.1 GW as of April 2024. Although the growth rate for launching new greenfield onshore wind farms has slowed over the last 10 years, the U.S. is still poised to surpass 160 GW of wind capacity in 2025, according to a new report from energy research firm Wood Mackenzie.

There currently are about 1,500 onshore wind farms — on which more than 75,600 turbines are spinning — across 45 states, led by Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Illinois and Kansas. Virtually all of the wind farms are located on private land, and many of the largest ones are owned and operated by major energy companies, including NextEra Energy, RWE Clean Energy, Pattern Energy, Clearway Energy, Xcel Energy and Berkshire Hathaway‘s MidAmerican Energy, which generates 59% of it renewable energy from wind, including 3,500 turbines operating across 38 wind projects in Iowa.

A growing number of the turbines are 20-plus years old and nearing the end of their lifecycle. So increasingly, operators have to decide whether to upgrade or replace aging turbines’ key components, such as blades, rotors and electronics, or dismantle them altogether and erect new, technologically advanced and far more efficient models that can increase electricity output by up to 50%.

“What’s becoming clear is that more and more of the U.S. installed base [of onshore turbines] has exceeded its operational design life,” said Charles Coppins, research analyst for global wind at Wood Mackenzie, “and now operators are looking to replace those aging turbines with the latest [ones].”

To date, approximately 70 GW of onshore wind capacity has been fully repowered in the U.S., according to Wood Mackenzie, while an additional 12 GW has been partially repowered. The firm estimates that around 10,000 turbines have been decommissioned and that another 6,000 will be retired in the next 10 years, Coppins said.

Damaged wind turbine that was first hit by a tornado then lightning.

Ryan Baker | Istock | Getty Images

Beyond the fact that aged-out turbines need to be upgraded or replaced, repowering an existing wind farm versus building a new site presents economic benefits to operators and OEMs. To begin with, there’s no need to acquire property. In fact, in certain situations, because today’s turbines are larger and more efficient, fewer turbines are needed. And they’ll generate additional electricity and have longer lifecycles, ultimately delivering higher output at a lower cost.

Even so, “there are some limitations on how much capacity you could increase a project by without having to go through new permitting processes or interconnection queues” to the power grid, said Stephen Maldonado, Wood Mackenzie’s U.S. onshore analyst. As long as the operator is not surpassing the allowed interconnection volume agreed to with the local utility, they can add electricity to the project and still send it to the grid.

Public opposition, Maldonado said, may be another hurdle to get over. Whether it’s a new or repower wind project, residents have expressed concerns about environmental hazards, decreased property values, aesthetics and general anti-renewables sentiment.

RWE, a subsidiary of Germany’s RWE Group, is the third largest renewable energy company in the U.S., owning and operating 41 utility-scale wind farms, according to its CEO Andrew Flanagan, making up 48% of its total installed operating portfolio and generating capacity, which also includes solar and battery storage.

One of RWE’s two repower projects underway (both are in Texas), is its Forest Creek wind farm, originally commissioned in 2006 and featuring 54 Siemens Gamesa turbines. The project will replace them with 45 new GE Vernova turbines that will extend the wind farm’s life by another 30 years once it goes back online later this year. Simultaneously, RWE and GE Vernova are partnering on a new wind farm, immediately adjacent to Forest Creek, adding another 64 turbines to the complex. When complete, RWE will deliver a total of 308 MW of wind energy to the region’s homes and businesses.

Flanagan noted that the combined projects are related to increased electricity demands from the area’s oil and gas production. “It’s great to see our wind generation drive the all-of-the-above energy approach,” he said. What’s more, at its peak, the repower project alone will employ 250 construction workers and over its operating period bring in $30 million in local tax revenue, he added.

In turn, the twin projects will support advanced manufacturing jobs at GE Vernova’s Pensacola, Florida, facility, as well as advancing the OEM’s repower business. In January, the company announced that in 2024 it received orders to repower more than 1 GW of wind turbines in the U.S.

Koiguo | Moment | Getty Images

Siemens Gamesa has executed several large U.S. repowering projects, notably MidAmerican’s expansive Rolling Hills wind farm in Iowa, which went online in 2011. In 2019, the company replaced 193 older turbines with 163 higher-capacity models produced at its manufacturing plants in Iowa and Kansas.

Last year, Siemens Gamesa began repowering RWE’s 17-year-old Champion Wind, a 127-MW wind farm in West Texas. The company is upgrading 41 of its turbines with new blades and nacelles (the housing at the top of the tower containing critical electrical components) and adding six new turbines.

In early April, Clearway announced an agreement with Vestas to repower its Mount Storm Wind farm in Grant County, West Virginia. The project will include removing the site’s 132 existing turbines and replacing them with 78 new models. The repower will result in an 85% increase in Mount Storm’s overall electricity generation while using 40% fewer turbines.

Preparing for ‘megatons’ of turbine recycling and tariffs

Another benefit of repowering is invigorating the nascent industry that’s recycling megatons of components from decommissioned turbines, including blades, steel, copper and aluminum. Most of today’s operational turbines are 85% to 95% recyclable, and OEMs are designing 100% recyclable models.

While the majority of mothballed blades, made from fiberglass and carbon fiber, have historically ended up in landfills, several startups have developed technologies recycle them. Carbon Rivers, for example, contracts with the turbine OEMs and wind farm operators to recover glass fiber, carbon fiber and resin systems from decommissioned blades to produce new composites and resins used for next-generation turbine blades, marine vessels, composite concrete and auto parts.

Veolia North America, a subsidiary of the French company Veolia Group, reconstitutes shredded blades and other composite materials into a fuel it then sells to cement manufacturers as a replacement for coal, sand and clay. Veolia has processed approximately 6,500 wind blades at a facility in Missouri, and expanded its processing capabilities to meet demand, according to David Araujo, Veolia’s general manager of engineered fuels.

Trump’s new-project moratorium isn’t his only impediment to the wind industry. The president’s seesaw of import tariffs, especially the 25% levy on steel and aluminum, is impacting U.S. manufacturers across most sectors.

The onshore wind industry, however, “has done a really good job of reducing geopolitical risks,” said John Hensley, senior vice president for markets and policy analysis at the American Clean Power Association, a trade group representing the clean energy industry. He cited a manufacturing base in the U.S. that includes hundreds of plants producing parts and components for turbines. Although some materials are imported, the investment in domestic manufacturing “provides some risk mitigation to these tariffs,” he said.

Amidst the headwinds, the onshore wind industry is trying to stay focused on the role that repowering can play in meeting the nation’s exponentially growing demand for electricity. “We’re expecting a 35% to 50% increase between now and 2040, which is just incredible,” Hensley said. “It’s like adding a new Louisiana to the grid every year for 15 years.”

GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik recently told CNBC’s Jim Cramer that the growth of the U.S.’s electric load is the largest since the industrial boom that followed the end of the second world war. “You’ve got to go back to 1945 and the end of World War II, that’s the infrastructure buildout that we’re going to have,” he said. 

As OEMs and wind farm developers continue to face rising capital costs for new projects, as well as a Trump administration averse to clean energy industries, “repowering offers a pathway for delivering more electrons to the grid in a way that sidesteps or at least minimizes some of the challenges associated with all these issues,” Hensley said.

Vestas CEO says wind turbine manufacturer is ‘well positioned’ amid tariff concerns

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Environment

ABB is bringing its new, 1.2 MW modular truck chargers to ACT Expo

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1 day ago

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April 26, 2025

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ABB is bringing its new, 1.2 MW modular truck chargers to ACT Expo

Capable of delivering up to 1,200 kW of power to get electric commercial trucks back on the road in minutes, the new ABB MCS1200 Megawatt Charging System is part of an ecosystem of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) that ABB’s bringing to this year’s ACT Expo.

ABB E-mobility is using the annual clean trucking conference to showcase the expansion of its EVSE portfolio with three all-new charger families: the field-upgradable A200/300 All-in-One chargers, the MCS1200 Megawatt Charging System for heavy-duty vehicles shown (above), and the ChargeDock Dispenser for flexible depot charging.

The company said its new product platform was built by applying a computer system-style domain separation to charger design, fundamentally improving subsystem development and creating a clear path forward for site and system expansion. In other words, ABB is selling a system with both future-proofing and enhanced dependability baked in.

“We have built a system by logically separating a charger into four distinct subsystems … each functioning as an independent subsystem,” explains Michael Halbherr, CEO of ABB E-mobility. “Unlike conventional chargers, where a user interface failure can disable the entire system, our architecture ensures charging continues even if the screen or payment system encounters issues. Moreover, we can improve each subsystem at its own pace without having to change the entire system.”

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The parts of ABB’s new EVSE portfolio that have been made public so far have already been recognized for design excellence, with the A400 winning the iF Gold Award and both the A400 and C50 receiving Red Dot Design Awards.

New ABB chargers seem pretty, good

ABB’s good-looking family; via ABB.

ABB says the systemic separation of its EVSE enhances both reliability and quality, while making deployed chargers easier to diagnose and repair, in less time. Each of the chargers’ subsystems can be tested, diagnosed, and replaced independently, allowing for quick on-site repairs and update cycles tailored to the speed of each systems’ innovation. The result is 99% uptime and a more future-proof product.

“The EV charging landscape is evolving beyond point products for specific use cases,” continued Halbherr. “By implementing this modular approach with the majority of our R&D focused on modular platforms rather than one-off products … it reduces supply chain risks, while accelerating development cycles and enabling deeper collaboration with critical suppliers.”

Key markets ABB is chasing

HVC 360 Charge Dock Dispenser depot deployment; via ABB.
  • PUBLIC CHARGING – with the award winning A400 being the optimal fit for high power charging from highway corridors to urban locations, the latest additions to the A-Series All-in-One chargers offer a field-upgradable architecture allowing operators to start with the A200 (200kW) with the option to upgrade to 300kW or 400kW as demand grows. This approach offers scalability and protects customer investment, leading to Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) savings over 10 years.
  • PUBLIC TRANSIT AND FLEET – the new Charge Dock Dispenser – in combination with the already in market available HVC 360 – simplifies depot charging with a versatile solution that supports pantograph-, roof-, and pedestal charging options with up to 360kW of shared power and 150m/490 ft installation flexibility between cabinet and dispensers. The dispenser maintains up to 500A output.
  • HEAVY TRUCKS – building the matching charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles and fleets represents a critical innovation frontier on our journey to electrify transportation. Following extensive collaboration with industry-leading truck OEMs, the MCS1200 Megawatt Charging System delivers up to 1,200kW of continuous power — 20% more energy transfer than 1MW systems — providing heavy-duty vehicles with purpose-built single-outlet design for the energy they need during mandatory driver breaks. To support other use cases, such as CCS truck charging, a dual CCS and MCS option will also be available.
  • RETAIL – the award winning C50 Compact Charger complements the family as the slimmest charger in its category at just 9.3 inches depth, optimized for convenient charging during typical one-hour retail experiences. With its large touch display, the C50 takes the award-winning A400 experience even further — setting a new standard for consumer experience and very neatly echoing our own take on that “Goldilocks” timing zone for commercial charging.

ABB says that the result of its new approach are chargers that offer 99% plus uptime — a crucial statistic for commercial charging operations and a key factor to ensuring customer satisfaction. The new ABB E-mobility EVSE product family will be on display for the first time at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo (ACT Expo) in Anaheim, California next week, then again at Power2Drive in Munich, Germany, from May 7-9.

Electrek’s Take

BEV trucks and buses at ACT Expo in Long Beach; image by the author.
ACT Expo test drives; by the author.

The ACT Expo is one of – if not the most important sustainable trucking event in North America, featuring all the big names in heavy trucks, construction equipment, material handling, infrastructure – even Tier 1 suppliers. Mostly, though, it’s many fleet buyers’ only chance to test drive these zero emission trucks before writing a big PO (which just makes it even more important).

Electrek will be there again this year, and we’ll be bringing you all the latest news from press events and product reveals as it happens.

SOURCE | IMAGES: ABB E-mobility.

If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them. 

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.

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Environment

Whisper Aero ultralight aircraft scores $500K for “UltraQuiet” electric jet motor tests

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1 day ago

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April 26, 2025

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Whisper Aero ultralight aircraft scores 0K for

Whisper's "UltraQuiet" propulsion system to power acrobatic glider

Along with Tennessee Tech, Tennessee-based ultralight aircraft company Whisper Aero has secured a $500,000 grant to help advance the company’s innovative electric jet motor concept off the drawing board and onto the testing phase.

Earlier this month, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced plans to award $500,000 to Tennessee Tech and Whisper Aero through the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative.

“We look forward to using these award dollars to place students in internships working directly with Whisper Aero leaders,” said Tennessee Tech President Phil Oldham. “By learning from an electric propulsion innovator like Whisper Aero, our students will gain invaluable perspective and can take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it right here in Tennessee.”

The grant will see a Whisper Aero glider fitted with a pair of the company’s eQ250 electric-powered jet “propulsors” for UltraQuiet flight. Tennessee Tech faculty and students will carry out copper-bird ground testing to ensure the safe integration of engines, batteries, and controllers, and kickstart Tennessee Tech’s new Crossville Mobility Incubator.

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Those propulsors, by the way, are super cool.

UnltraQuiet WhisperDrive; via Whisper Aero.

Whisper Aero’s main claim to fame is its innovative UltraQuiet WhisperDrive (above). It’s effectively an electrically spun ducted fan jet engine that uses a large number of stiff composite fan blades inside a lightweight, acoustically treated duct. With so many blades, the Whisper Aero propulsor can push more air than a conventional prop while spinning much more slowly. As such, the “blade passage frequency” moves up to more than 16,000 Hz – outside the range of most human hearing but not, supposedly, high enough to freak out the beagles.

The Whisper Aero ultralight is effectively an Aériane Swift3 glider fitted with a pair of Whisper’s eQ250 propulsors, each capable of up to 80 lbs. of thrust. The Ultralight has a wingspan of over 40 ft with a maximum L/D of 35:1 and can be stressed to a design loading of +6/-4g, making it capable of some pretty impressive acrobatic feats.

The Swift3 glider is designed for a low speed, low power cruising speed of 45–55 knots with “just” 6.5 hp. Power-off glides from a few hundred feet showed a low sink rate, and a climb rate of 1,250 ft/min with full self-launching power (in other words: the Whisper glider doesn’t have to be towed by a launch vehicle, like a conventional ultralight glider).

Quiet cool

Dual WhisperDrive fans deliver ~160 lbf of thrust; via Whisper Aero.

Range under full power is about 109 miles with current battery tech, but it’s expected that range under the latest EPiC 2.0 energy batteries would rise to nearly 170 miles.

Nathan Millecam, CEO of Electric Power System, said, “EPiC 2.0’s leap in energy density and thermal performance has enabled a significant increase in range, a clear validation of our next-gen cell technology. We are impressed by what the Whisper team continues to achieve in advancing electric aviation.”

The press release concludes explaining that flight tests are expected to show that the Whisper Aero glider can be flown, “a few hundred feet away from neighborhoods without any disturbances, while carrying a 220 lbs. payload with full range,” which is all kind of ominous in today’s political climate, but still pretty neat from a purely tech perspective.

The TNGO grant follows a separate grant from NASA awarded last year, though that grant aims to develop the eQ250s – not as a propulsion system, but as a key component in future spacecraft ventilation systems.

Tennessee Tech announces TNGO grant

With support from TNECD’s Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative, Tennessee Tech University and Whisper Aero are partnering to advance next-generation propulsion technology in the aerospace industry. This collaboration will enhance aerospace research and workforce development, ensuring Tennessee remains a leader in cutting-edge mobility solutions.

TNECD

SOURCE | IMAGES: TNECD; via eVTOL Insights, New Atlas.

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